Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Korean Short Ribs

Ever since the scales fell from my eyes and I became a raving Instant Pot evangelist a few years ago, readers have been asking me to convert their favorite recipes so they can be cooked in this magical device. Requests run the gamut from the simple (kalua pig!) to the impossible (fish ’n chips!). Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, folks, but not every dish can or should be cooked under high pressure. Here’s a good rule of thumb: if you can make the dish faster and/or tastier using a different method, don’t cook it in your pressure cooker. For example, if you insist on cooking delicate fish fillets in your Instant Pot, the statistical likelihood of overcooking those pricey pieces of protein is 99.99%. For the love of cod, people: reach for parchment paper (and the technique shown in this recipe) or a frying pan (and the method demonstrated in this recipe) instead. And to the reader who asked me for an Instant Pot kabob recipe: I hate to break it to you, but a pressure cooker is crap at grilling and/or broiling meat.

That said, some recipes—particularly stews, braises, and soups—are forehead-smackingly perfect for converting into Instant Pot versions. Take this recipe, which is a super-straightforward adaptation of my classic Slow Cooker Korean Short Ribs recipe. This deeply flavorful, Asian-inspired dish has long been a fan favorite, but it turns out that my Korean Short Ribs are even simpler to prepare in the Instant Pot—and just as deliciously satisfying to eat. For the sake of speed and ease, you don’t even need to broil the ribs like in the slow cooker recipe: Just season the ribs, blitz the sauce, and cook everything for 45 minutes under high pressure. BOOM! (Note: That was an exclamation of triumph—not the sound of a pressure cooker exploding, because the Instant Pot is super-safe.)

Pat the short ribs dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Use your hands to rub the salt and pepper all over the ribs.

Transfer the seasoned ribs to a 6-quart (or larger) pressure cooker.

You may have to play some short rib Tetris to make sure all the meat fits in the pot. Sometimes, I have to cut off the bone from the meat so I can fit the meaty pieces properly (but I still throw the bones on top for added flavor). Ideally, though, everything fits like a puzzle.

Toss the coconut aminos, vinegar, fish sauce…

…pear/apple, garlic, scallions, and ginger in a high-speed blender or food processor…

…and blitz until smooth.

Pour the sauce over the short ribs in the pressure cooker, and stir everything around so the sauce reaches the bottom of the pot.

If the sauce doesn’t reach the bottom of the pot, the ribs might burn and you’ll get an “ovHT” error message on the Instant Pot display. (Got the error message even though the sauce hit the bottom of the pot? Turn off your Instant Pot, and add ¼ cup broth or water. Then, restart the Instant Pot. That should clear the error.)

Shut and lock the lid, turn the valve at the top to “sealing,” and program the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure for 45 minutes. (Not sure how? Press “Manual” and the “+” button until the number says “45.”)

Let the pressure release naturally. If the pressure hasn’t dropped after 25 minutes, release it manually by turning the top valve to the “venting” position. Pop open the lid and check that the ribs are fork-tender. If they’re not, cook ’em for another 5 to 10 minutes under high pressure.

Transfer the ribs to a plate or platter, and taste the liquid for seasoning. Adjust if necessary with additional salt and pepper. Yes, there will be plenty of fat at the top of the liquid, which is totally normal and expected with this cut of meat. If you want, you can skim the fat off the top and then spoon the sauce on top of the ribs.

Garnish with cilantro before serving!

This dish tastes even better the next day, so I recommend making it ahead of time. You can refrigerate it for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. It’s like a yummy, meaty gift to your future self!

After the stew has been refrigerated or frozen, the fat on top will solidify, making it easy to remove if desired. (I’m not fat-phobic, but I prefer to take it off ’cause I don’t like an overly greasy sauce.)

Plus, you can totally reheat the stew in an Instant Pot—simply dump the ribs and sauce back into the Instant Pot and cook under high pressure for 5 minutes. Keep the short ribs warm until you’re ready to serve!

Pour the sauce over the short ribs in the pressure cooker, and stir everything around so the sauce reaches the bottom of the pot. If the sauce doesn’t reach the bottom of the pot, the ribs might burn and you’ll get an “ovHT” error message on the Instant Pot display. (Got the error message even though the sauce hit the bottom of the pot? Turn off your Instant Pot, and add ¼ cup broth or water. Then, restart the Instant Pot. That should clear the error.)

Shut and lock the lid, turn the valve at the top to “sealing,” and program the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure for 45 minutes by pressing “Manual” and the “+” button until the number says “45.”

Let the pressure release naturally. If the pressure hasn’t dropped after 25 minutes, release it manually by turning the top valve to the “venting” position. Pop open the lid and check that the ribs are fork-tender. If they’re not, cook ’em for another 5 to 10 minutes under high pressure.

Transfer the ribs to a plate or platter, and taste the liquid for seasoning. Adjust if necessary with additional salt and pepper. If desired, skim the fat off the top.

Spoon the sauce on top of the ribs, and garnish with cilantro before serving.

Notes

This is a great make-ahead dish. You can refrigerate the cooked short ribs for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. After the stew has been refrigerated or frozen, the fat on top will solidify, making it easy to remove if desired. You can reheat the stew in an Instant Pot—simply dump the ribs and sauce back into the Instant Pot and cook under high pressure for 5 minutes. Keep the short ribs warm until you’re ready to serve.

KEEP YUMYUM FREE!

YumYum relies on people using our site to order their products through Amazon and via the grey search bars, or by clicking through on the posts to Amazon.
By blog readers doing this, it subsidises the costs of running the blog and keeps the information free to everyone. If You Are Going To Buy - PLEASE BUY THROUGH US!